Photographic-flash-light cartridge



prnl 15, 1930. L. l.. DRIGGs, JR., ET AL 1,754,987

PHOTG'RAPHIC FLASH LIGHT CARTRIDGE Filed Jan. 8, 1929 Summers L. L. rigg', J7. Q. Fab w:- Lttoxrlxcgs.

Patented Apr.. l5, 1930 LOUIS IJ. DRIGGS, JR., OF EW ROCHELLE, AND HENRY B. FABER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRIPHIC-FLASH-LIGHT CARTRIDGE Application led January 8, 1929. Serial No. 331,128.

Our present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for taking fiash-light pictures, and it is intended to provide a. cheap, simple, efficient and convenient arrangement which can be used with .safety and without the necessity for installing complicated apparatus or manipulation in the preparation of the parts just prior to the time that the fiashlight is used.

all the essential parts together for the quick and efficient Hash-light for photographic purposes in a single cartridge case which may be safely stored away or transported from place to place until, at the moment of use, it is fired from a pistol or other convenient firearm, for instantanous photography.

The invention will be more fully understood after reference to the accompanying 2o drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure l shows a longitudinal section through a cartridge case, showing the illumimating charge of flashlight powder mounted in front of an air chamber and intended to be ignited and expelled by a blank cartridge which is fired into said air chamber. i

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure l and 3o shows a modification in which the blank cartridge is supplemented by an ignition and ejecting charge.

Figure 3 is a detail showing the container for the flash-light composition, and with the air chamber in rear there-of, shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a modification of Figures 2 and 3, in which the container for the Hashiight powder contains a layer of oxygen bearing material kept out of contact with the lumnating powder until after the cartridge 1s Referring first to the construction shown in Figure l, A represents a metal cartridge case preferably provided with the annular groove a, whereby the cartridge case may be retained within the barrel of the firearm from which the cartridge is fired.

Such a cartridge may be fired from a muzzle-loading firearm, such as is shown in our Our invention comprises the mounting of.

application Ser. No. 263,024, filed March 20, 1928, and entitled Improvements in firearms, in which device there is a spring latch engaging the annular groove in the cartridge case.

In this form of device, the cartridge case is provided with a head a', in which the blank cartridge B is held. 'This cartridge case is also provided with an inwardly projecting annular shoulder a? against which the end of the cylindrical container C engages. Spaced apart from the blank cartridge B is a sup-shaped head D cut away as at d and to which the inflammable diaphragm D is secured. In front of this head D, the liash light composition is mounted. This may consist of any suitable magnesium or other flash-light powder, and the front end of the container C is closed with the head D2. This container C is slipped into the cylindrical portion a3 of the cartridge case, and then the front end of the cartridge case is crimped over as at at, holding the container firmly 1n place in the cartirdge case and leaving an air chamber between the head D and the rear head a of the cartridge case. When the blank cartridge B is ignited, as by firing a small arm, the fiame flies forward, and the powder gases expand in the air chamber and blow the flash-light powder forward. Shortly after the flash-light powder is ejected from the cartridge case, it will be ignited by the flame burning away the infiammable diaphragm D, and there will be an instantaneous combustion, producing for an instant a brilliant light.

The interposition of the air chamber enables the flash-light powder to be ejected from the cartridge case and scatter widely in the air before the instantaneous and complete ignition takes place, so that there is no retarded burning, as occurs when a mass of Hash-light powder is ignited from one side or surface only, as when using the iiash-light powder in a pan. 1,

In the form of device shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cartridge may be loaded into a breech-loading firearm, such as is shown in our application Ser. No. 263,025, filed March 20, 1928, and entitled Improvements in firearms, but obviously the cartridge case may be fittedfor use 'with either a muzzle loading lor breech loading piece.

of either metal or paper,'and the front end ofl this shell is crimped inward, as at z', to hold in place the tube J, in which vtube is mounted the container -K having the heads k and k', between which heads the Hash-light powder E is mounted. These heads 7c and lo are preferably made of celotex or other infiammable material. In rear of the container K is the annular ring M having a head fm, forming a cylindrical cup, or air chamber.

In rear of the head 7.-; and in rear of this diaphragm m, the igniting and ejectingl charge N is mounted. This charge N is ignited by the primer or cap I-I, and when ignited it will expand into the air chamber M and will blow out the illuminating charge E, igniting same about the same time that the illuminating charge in the dispersion cone clears the muzzle of the cartridge. In the form of device shown in Figure 4, the parts are similar to those already described with reference to Figures 2' and 3, except that in the tube J and in addition to the illuminating charge and the air chamber already referred to, we provide a body of oxygen bearing material, such as potassium chlorate, which may be held inl a cylindrical cup P closed by the inflammable diaphragm p. When the primer H is fired, the igniting and expelling charge N will exand in the air chamber M, and then will orce the oxygen bearing material to mix intimately with the illumlnating powder E; and the two, being mixed together by the firing of the piece and dispersed as previously described, will become ignited in a dispersed cone after leaving the cartridge case, producing an intense and instantaneous light.- Thisv light will be much-more in'tense, owing to the instantaneous character than would occur if the oxygen bearing material or the illuminating powder were not thoroughly mixed and in the widely dispersed condition at the instant of illumination. Y

By having the illuminating powder E, which may be of any type of magnesium, or of any other illuminating powder, kept separate from the oxygen bearing material, which may be chlorate potash or the like, the danger'from deterioration or premature explo-- sion, which is experiencedwhen these two are keptmixed together or in contact with each other for any length of time, is avoided.

l The regulationswith regard to the manufacture or usepof these flash-light powders provide that the oxygen bearing material shall not be kept mixed with the metal illuminating powder, but the mixture shall only be mixed just before the actual operation of using the flash-light powder; but by having the oxygen bearing material kept separate from and in rear of the illuminating material, the quick and eflicient mixing of these at the moment of firing is secured. Atv the same time, the layer of oxygen bearing material serves to delay the ignition of the mixture until the mass has been finely divided and widely dispersed after leaving the mouth of the cartridge case, with the result that there will be a brief but intense llame.

By firing the iiluminating powder from the cartridge as described, we have found that there is a wide dispersing of an intensely brilliant flame due to the instantaneous and complete combustion of the mass. This enables us to get vbetter results without increasing the charge of flash-light powder and equal results by the use of a smaller charge of flashlight powder.

We do not mean to limit the invention to any particular kind of flash light powder or any particular kind `of oxygen bearing `material, as these are well known inthe art and are not a part of our present invention. While we have described embodiments of the invention in the preferred forms, it will be obvious that various changes'might be made in the construction, combination and ar- `rangement of parts, which could be used without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we do not mean to limit the invention to such details, except as particularly pointed o-ut in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 'of the United States is 1. A cartridge for uselin flash-light photography comprising a cortridge. case with an expelling and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, an air chamber in front of said charge, a charge of oxygen bearing material in front ofsaid air chamber, and a container containing flashlight powder, mounted in said cartridge case in front of said oxygen bearing charge, with frangible diaphragms forming the heads of said container.

2. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expelling and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, an air chamber in front` of said charge,a charge ofoxygen' bearing material' 1n front of said air chamber, and al container containing -iash light powder,

mounted insaid cartridge case in front of said oxygen bearing charge, with frangible diaphragms forming the heads of said container, the rear head of the container being also of combustible material.

8. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expelling and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, an air chamber in front of said charge, and a container containing flash light powder, mounted in said cartridge case in front of said air chamber, with diaphragms forming the heads of said container.

4. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expelling and, igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, an air chamber in front of said charge, and a container containing flash light powder, mounted in said cartridge case in front of' said oxygen bearing charge, with diaphragms forming the heads of said container, the rear head of the container comprising also of combustible material.V

5. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expellingV and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof,an air chamber in front of said charge, a cylindrical tube surrounding said air chamber, a charge of oxygen bearingr material mounted in said tube in front of said air chamber, and a container containing flash light powder, mounted in said tube in trout of said oxygen bearing charge, with frangible diaphragme forming the heads of said container.

6. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expellinnf and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, an air chamber in front of said charge, a cylindrical tube surrounding said air chamber, a charge of oxygen bearing material mounted in said tube in front of said air chamber, and a container containing flash light powder, mounted in said tube in front of said oxygen bearing charge, with frangible daphragms forming the heads of said container, the rear head of the container being also of combustible material.

7. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expelling and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, a cylindrical tube contained in said cartridge case, a charge of oxygen bearing material mounted in said tube, and a contain-er containing flash light powder. mounted in said tube in front of said oxygen bearing charge, with frangible diaphragms forming the heads of said container.

8. A cartridge for use in flash light photography comprising a cartridge case with an expelling and igniting charge mounted in the rear end thereof, a cylindricaltube enclosed in said cartridge case, a charge of oxygen bearing material mounted in said tube, and a container containing flash light powder,

-mounted in said tube in front of said oxygen bearing charge, with frangible diaphragms forming the heads of said container, the rear head of the containerbeing also of combustible material.

9. A cartridge for use inflash light photography comprising a cartridge "case provided with an igniting and expelling" charge charge.

LOUIS L. DRIGGS, JR. HENRY B. FABER. 

